hmmm the canon 1d mark iii haha its a great beginner camera....ok now seriously that varies and at the end of the day it really matters on what you want. what do you plan on using it for? how much you looking to spend? etc....

Canon, Nikon, Sony...etc...each have good entry level DSLRs. As stated you have to ask yourself what you want to do with it. Are you looking into an eventual career? Do you just want a good camera for a serious hobby?
Either way I feel it is best to not go crazy right out of the box until you are sure you will get enough out of it to invest some serious cash.
The canon XS, XT or XTI are good beginners that won't break you. Nikon has the D40, and Sony's Alpha 200, are a step up and still a reasonable price.
These cameras all have enough features that you can learn the basics of cameras and experiment with the fundementals of photography.
I would also suggest getting at least one good lens. A camera is only as good as the lens in front of it. (Some may argue this, but I believe it.)
Read about photography basics...exposure, shutter speed, aperture, ISO...etc.
Bryan Peterson has two great books that most people will agree are gotta haves for new photographers..."Understanding Exposure" and his follow up "Understanding Shutter Speed"
Of course there are many others out there that have good information as well.
Once you get this basic knowledge down you will be able to understand more about what you are doing with the features of your new camera.
Good luck with your decsision, and let us see what you come up with.

well i would say price but then again i love my 50mm and i picked it up for under 100....however that being said...the canon l series the nikon nikor (i think) sigma ex these are their respective brands top of the line lens i have two sigma's i really like and however i will concede they are not as great as the canon's they were meant to knock off at the price difference and the quality difference i feel its a good and even trade off....and honestly you wont even notice for a while. however if money is no object....a. will you be my friend and b. buy top of the line everything wouldnt ever hurt obviously....

As rdzmzda said the 50mm f/2.8 or f/1.4 are great lenses. You can get the f/2.8 very cheap. The f/1.4 is considerably more expensive.
I would suggest a medium range telephoto zoom that's an f/2.8
The difference in one of these and the kit lenses are dramatic.

As rdzmzda said the 50mm f/2.8 or f/1.4 are great lenses. You can get the f/2.8 very cheap. The f/1.4 is considerably more expensive.
I would suggest a medium range telephoto zoom that's an f/2.8
The difference in one of these and the kit lenses are dramatic.

Click to expand...

I think you mean 1.8 . For a good lens other than the kit lens I would suggest the 17-55mm f/2.8, But be preapered to spend lots of cash.